Just as leaves begin to brown and plummet to the ground and temperatures cool, college football encounters changes of its own.
The No. 7 Wisconsin Badgers host the No. 8 Nebraska Cornhuskers Saturday night at Camp Randall, a primetime, nationally televised affair that also ushers in the beginning of Big Ten conference play. ESPN’s College GameDay has elected to make the trip to Madison and broadcast their show in front of Honest Abe on Bascom Hill, and millions of eyes around the country will be fixed on their televisions for one of the most hotly anticipated games of the entire college football season.
But even on a more toned-down, strictly football level, Saturday ushers in a wave of change for the Badgers. UW, as expected, is a perfect 4-0 entering conference play after crushing its non-conference opponents by a combined victory margin of 194-34. Nevada-Las Vegas, Oregon State, Northern Illinois and South Dakota barely posed any challenge for Wisconsin’s offense, which ranks sixth in the country with an average of 48.5 points scored per game.
Yet, when the Huskers invade Camp Randall Stadium for their first contest as a member of the Big Ten, the best defense the Badgers have yet to see this season will line up opposite quarterback Russell Wilson & Co. Wilson has been brilliant in his first four games as a Badger, completing more than 75 percent of his passes for 1,136 yards, 11 touchdowns, only one interception and the nation’s second highest quarterback rating of 218.4. The vaunted UW rushing attack, led by running backs Montee Ball (360 yards) and James White (303), averages 245.5 yards per game, No. 13 in the country.
A glimpse at Nebraska’s numbers also tells a story, of course, though it isn’t one necessarily accurate of their true potential. The Huskers currently rank No. 46 in the nation in scoring defense, surrendering 22 points per game. In terms of yardage, Nebraska has allowed opponents to gain 349.8 yards per game, No. 52 in the country.
But with second-team All-American defensive tackle Jared Crick returning to action this week – he had a head injury that the team didn’t classify as a concussion – after sitting out Nebraska’s 38-14 Week 4 win over Wyoming. The Huskers’ defense is also anchored by standout cornerback Alfonzo Dennard, a second-team All-Big 12 selection last year who is widely expected to finish this season with All-American honors.
Combined with the other nine starters that give Nebraska a defense that is not only physical, but also quicker than many Big Ten defenses, Wisconsin is certainly bracing for its toughest test of the season.
“Nebraska is historically one of the strongest programs with one of the strongest D-lines,” center Peter Konz said. “You go back to Ndamukong Suh, right now it’s [Jared] Crick. Even their backups are really talented, and they’ve got good coaching. This is the game you want to be in; this is where you want to show people what you got.”
Wisconsin is well accustomed to performing on arguably the largest possible regular season stage, having defeated then-No. 1 and undefeated Ohio State 31-18 last October at Camp Randall. That win buoyed the Badgers to a share of the Big Ten title and a berth in the Rose Bowl, the program’s first since 1999.
But in Nebraska – regardless of how much the Huskers’ defense has underachieved – the Badgers are certain to face a defense that operates entirely differently than any of its first four opponents.
“They run a lot of head-up on the guards, so as far as getting our combination blocks – me [right guard Kevin] Zeitler, me and [left guard] Travis Frederick – it’s going to be a little bit harder because they can pick the way they want to go,” Konz said. “Part of the strength of our offense is getting those double teams, and obviously part of their gameplan is not letting us get those double teams.”
Konz offered a much more detailed assessment of Nebraska’s defense, noting that the Huskers will likely offer a three defensive linemen front that the Badgers haven’t seen much of at all. Wisconsin also is yet to see a defense with the combination of raw talent, skill and technique that Nebraska will bring.
Wide receiver Jared Abbrederis, second on the team with 15 receptions and 233 yards, is expecting Nebraska’s secondary to not only be the most physical Wisconsin has seen yet, but also the most fundamentally sound.
“I think they’re real aggressive on the line of scrimmage; they’re going to come after you and try to stop you before you even start your route,” Abbrederis said. “They do a good job with quick jams. They like to squat on their routes, so you’ve got to be sharp on your routes, be strong through a route and make sure you get your depth. They look pretty good.”
Clearly, the Badgers aren’t likely to be fooled by the Husker defense’s slow start. After all, Wisconsin is used to slow starts. While UW may have rolled through this season’s non-conference slate, it barely escaped Arizona State in Week 3 last season and lost on the road to Michigan State in that year’s Big Ten opener.
But opening at home, in the friendly confines of Camp Randall in a game they’re expected to win, is allowing Wisconsin to keep its composure and remember what has brought GameDay, the national spotlight and everything that comes with this eagerly awaited game – its steady, successful style of football.
“Honestly, we’re expecting [Nebraska] to be a lot better than the talent we’ve played in these past games, but we have a lot of faith in our O-linemen to get the job done,” Ball said. “We’re just going to take it like another game.”
